


2:45 am

by gemini_hyuck



Series: 2:45 am [1]
Category: Mark Lee - Fandom, NCT, NCT 127 - Fandom, NCT Dream, NCT U - Fandom, mark - Fandom - Fandom
Genre: F/M, M/M, NCT Dream - Freeform, NCT U, nct - Freeform, nct 127
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:40:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27296557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemini_hyuck/pseuds/gemini_hyuck
Summary: his life was fast paced, always moving always changing. no time to stop and relax. her life was constant, same routine day after day. when their very different worlds collide will they come together? or will they simply be strangers passing through. only 2:45 am coffee can tell.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Mark Lee (NCT)/Reader, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Series: 2:45 am [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993012
Kudos: 6





	1. 2:45 am (1)

it was 2:30 am and i was still at work. having the grave yard shift at the 24 hour coffee shop i worked at sucked. epically. usually i just had one or two people come in so i could just relax behind the counter during my shift. the people who came in were either working late or half-drunk and trying to sober up. someone came in a little later and ordered a hot chocolate. he was wearing a button down and his tie was loose so i assumed he was just working late and didn’t like coffee. at 2:45 someone else walked him. he was wearing a mask and a hat which covered his whole face except for his eyes which had bags under them. he carried a laptop under one arm, the other shoved into his pocket.

“um whatever is strongest.” i raised an eyebrow, questioning his mental state but proceeded to ring up his drink anyway. he handed me his money and went to take a seat. he set up his laptop and immediately started typing. as i made his drink i noticed he would stop, aggressively back space, type some more than repeat. i brought his drink over and set it down in front of him. he barely looked up while thanking me then proceeded to lower his mask and down the whole thing in one go. he looked up as he asked for another one and my eyes widened in shock.

“oh my god.” he sighed not like he was irritated but just tired.

“please don’t scream.”

”excuse me?” i was a little confused at his words. don’t scream? why would i scream?

“the coffee shop i tried to go to earlier was loaded with fan girls and i couldn’t work and i really don’t want to move again.” i scoffed at his words.

“i was just going to say that can’t be healthy. you looked exhausted and chugging coffee like this late is not good for you.” he looked up, temporarily surprised, and i saw his whole face for the first time. mark lee. the literal rap god of nct. that’s why he said fan girls. “also i’m not going to scream. i never really understood that anyway. i’m going to make you some hot chocolate. on the house because you need to relax.” i could feel him staring at my back as i walked away. as i was waiting for the milk to heat up he came up to the counter, hat and mask gone, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

“i’m sorry if i came off as rude earlier. that wasn’t my intention i’m just…” he stopped searching for the right word.

“tired?” i supplied and he nodded smiling sheepishly. “i can tell.” he seemed to relax at the teasing comment, realizing i wasn’t upset with him. 

“mark.” he said holding out his hand.

“y/n” i shook his hand and he smiled again this one more tired. “you really should get some rest.” he yawned then nodded.

“yeah haechan tried to drag me back to the dorms but i wanted to finish my lyrics and the dorms are too loud.”

“dream, 127, or u?” his eyes widened as he realized that i was, in fact, a fan. “don’t worry i’m not going to tackle you.” i said rolling my eyes. he laughed at that.

“right now i’m stuck with dream. we have a few performances coming up so i’m staying in their dorm.” i silently ‘ah’d’ and finished making his drink. surprisingly he didn’t go back to his laptop but leaned against the counter. i walked over to the register and decided that i’d make myself a hot chocolate as well. ringing up both i opened the register and placed the money in the right slots. 

“this hot chocolate is amazing y/n. i’m gunna have to bring the boys in here jaemin loves coffee.” i smiled widely. 

“i’m sure we’d get along great then!” he smiled at me over his cup. i started to make my own hot chocolate and he leaned over the counter to watch. i was adding the chocolate to the cup when someone else entered the coffee store. his shoulders seemed to relax as he saw mark.

“there you are. jeno said you hadn’t come back to their dorms yet, we were worried. i went to the cafe you told haechannie you were going to but it was closed.”

“sorry hyung i came here because there no one else was here. this is y/n by the way. she took away my coffee and made me drink hot chocolate instead so i can relax.” he smiled at me and the other man looked towards me, eyes turning to crescents as he smiled under the mask.

“i like her already.” he held out his hand. “lee taeyong.” 

“ah the other rap god of nct.” i bowed slightly as i shook his hand. his cheeks turned pink slightly with mark’s. he took off his mask and shoved it into his pocket as he leaned against the counter with his younger friend. 

“well now i see why you took so long coming back to the dorms.” mark’s cheeks turned pink along with mine as i realized what he was implying. he picked up mark’s unfinished hot chocolate and took a sip. “wow this is really good hot chocolate.” 

“i know right? that’s what i said!” my cheeks reddened again at the compliments as not one but two famous kpop was idols were in my coffee shop and complimenting my hot chocolate. if this was a dream i was going to cry when i woke up. we talked for a little while longer then, after much convincing, mark agreed to pack up and go back to the dorms to sleep. they waved to me as they walked out and i smiled. 

about a week later he returned this time with the rest of the dreamies in tow. a boy with caramel brown hair, a shade or two darker than mark’s, walked right up to the counter. he ordered a large americano with six shots of espresso. um ok. my eyes shifted to mark briefly and he just shook his head, waving it off. must be a regular thing. the next person to walk up had beautiful tanned skin and red/orange-ish hair. this must be the famed melanin king haechan. he order an iced caramel latte. next was lee jeno. he gave me his beautifully iconic eye smile after he ordered his americano, with only one shot of espresso @ na jaemin, i immediately blushed. chenle and jisung ordered together and they both got hot chocolate. renjun was after them and he order hot chocolate as well. mark was last and he ordered an iced mocha latte. i rung up their orders and they all pitched in their money. 

since there was no one else there they all stayed up at the counter to watch as i made their drinks. they kept up easy conversation after introducing myself. after haechan determined that while mark was my bias, he had to fight that one out of me, he was my bias wrecker and decided he liked me. cheeks still red from admitting mark is my bias right in front of him i turned to jaeno who had been patiently waiting to talk to me. they were both sweethearts but jeno had to check jaemin a few times for flirting with me. jaemin told me i could call him nana and i just about died. jeno, ever the gentleman, tried to tip me because he felt bad that i was making all their drinks by myself. i declined however telling them my tip was getting to know them. they both blushed at that and i felt proud of myself for making the nations boyfriend na jaemin blush. i did the hot chocolates first since the two youngest had ordered them and they both thanked me in two very different ways. jisung was more timid and quick but chenle walked right up and hollered a thank you that seemed to bounce off the walls. i laughed as mark and renjun sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridges of their noses in sync. haechannie was next. i waited in anticipation for his reaction as he sipped it. a bright smile lit up his face.

“y/n this is amazing! wow jinja this is so good!” i bowed slightly from behind the counter. i was finishing up jaeno’s drinks when i noticed some girls outside. fan girls. oh boy. i turned to the boys.

“guys there’s a bunch of girls outside and i think they’re looking for you.” their eyes widened in alarm. i quickly unlocked the side gate ushering them behind the counter. “go to the back room it’s straight back i’ll come get you when they’re gone.” they thanked me quickly rushing to the back. just in time. the girls busted through the doors. 

“hello can i help you?” i asked from the register. they walked over scanning the shop.

“hi did you see nct dream here? someone said they thought they saw them come in here.” i pretended to think, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

“nct dream… you mean that group of teenagers that came in here a little bit ago? bunch of rowdy guys mostly about ye tall?” i gestured a few inches above my head and they nodded excitedly. “yeah they came a while ago i don’t know where they went though.” i shrugged nonchalantly. their shoulders slumped in disappointment and they left. after making sure they weren’t just hiding outside the windows i went to get the guys. 

“thank you so much y/n.” jeno said. they all nodded in agreement.

“really, thank you. we love our fans we really do but sometimes they forget that we’re just human.” jaemin continued.

“we need time to ourselves that isn’t been recorded or judged by millions.” jeno finished for them. i smiled sadly at them.

“hey honestly i have so much respect for you guys. you work so hard 24/7 and you keep pushing yourselves even then. you learn these incredible dances in like a week then are ready to perform in a month. and you do that while memorizing and recording all your lines. and i know you guys have like main dancer and main rapper and and main vocal but i think all of you are equally talented. even then your strengths and weaknesses are what make you all a perfect fit for each other. i’ve been a fan since pre-debut and you all have grown up so well. you’re a family and you lean on each other and that’s more than i’ve ever had so i think that’s beautiful. i just think you guys need to be reminded that you human as well. take care of yourselves and each other. you’re all doing amazing.” by the end of my little speech a few of them had glossy eyes. they all surrounded me and suddenly i was in a group hug with nct dream. when they stepped back a few wiped their eyes.

“thank you y/n. i think we all needed to hear that. this comeback has had us really stressed out recently.” mark spoke for the group who all nodded. 

“hey i’m sorry if this is personal but do you like live here? we noticed there was a blowup mattress in the corner on top of a pillow and a tooth brush and tooth paste in a bag by the sink. and there’s also an overstuffed backpack.” my cheeks reddened in embarrassment. in my haste to get them out of sight i had forgotten about my things. 

“um yeah. i’m saving up for an apartment. there’s one i’ve been wanting to live in since i was really little. it’s got a lot of space and a beautiful view but i’m short a few thousand so i just commute to my classes from here. the building itself is huge and looks really new agey from the outside” 

“wait i think i know what apartment you’re talking about. big white building? over looks the gardens?” i nodded with a big smile.

“yeah. it’s been my dream to live there since like forever.”

“it’s right by the sm dorms!” chenle exclaimed excitedly. “if you lived their you come see us and watch us practice and hang out with us!”

“chenle i’d love to honestly but i just don’t have the money right now. i gotta pay off my college debt too.” they looked at me sadly but i just smiled. “it’s ok guys. i’ll get there. then we can hangout all you want.” this seemed to lighten the mood and they all nodded enthusiastically. i went back out to finish the last two drinks. they walked around the counter again and watched intently as i finished up the last few drinks. 

“you should teach me how to do that some time y/n.” mark suggested. i smiled at him and nodded.

“yeah sure. just come by anytime after 4 and i’ll be here.” he smiled then his eyes widened as he processed.

“wait you’re shift starts at 4?” i nodded slowly not sure where he was going. “y/n when do you get off?”

“usually about 5 am.” their jaws hit the floor. 

“and what time do you classes start?” 

“ummm like 7? why?” they looked stunned.

“y/n do you sleep?” jaemin seemed genuinely concerned for my health.

“yeah my classes end at like one so i just take like a two hour nap do my home work then work. i do whatever i didn’t finish after my shift ends.” i shrugged nonchalantly as this was nothing new to me. 

“y/n we don’t even work that hard. are you okay? like really?” mark was shocked. 

“well yeah. i mean i major is cosmetology so it’s not like i have tons of homework everyday.” jisung who had been quiet the whole time spoke up.

“you should just come work with us. you can be our makeup artist noona.” the others immediately jumped on the idea.

“yeah you can be nct dream’s personal stylist! that way you’d still have a job and once you get that apartment you’ll be right by us!” jaemin added on enthusiastically.

“guys that sounds amazing and i honestly would love nothing more but i’m a few years away from that apartment at least. all my money right now goes to paying off my college debt.” they looked saddened again by that but still hopeful. 

“we should probably get back to the dorms before taeyongie hyung throws a fit.” mark said. chenle immediately ran for the door.

“I’M TELLING HYUNG YOU SAID THAT!” mark’s eyes widened in horror and he gave a quick goodbye before running after chenle.

“DON’T YOU DARE!” he screamed after him. renjun smiled wryly and i got the feeling this was nothing new to him.

“still like him?” he smirked at me as my cheeks turned red. “see ya y/n. it was nice meeting you.” i rolled my eyes but smiled and waved. jaeno just about pulled me over the counter to give me a hug, relenting when i told them i’d just walk around. they gave me a big hug then moved to the side so jisung could say goodbye.

“it was nice to meet you noona. and please consider coming to work with us. mark hyung really likes you.” he whispered. when he pulled back my cheeks were pink again for the millionth time. he gave me a smile and waved as jaeno dragged him out the door. what a group. 

as the weeks continued on i saw nct dream as a whole once a week and at least one member per day. they usually came in pairs or threes. chensung, norenmin, and markhyuck. they always ordered the same thing so they just handed me the money when they got to the register and i started their drink. they always stayed to talk for a while before heading back to the dorm. 

it was month two of seeing nct dream when my monthly payment for my student loans rebounded. i emailed my financial officer to see what had gone wrong. almost immediately i got an email back. as i read it i almost choked on the hot chocolate i was drinking. 

Hello y/n,

It seems a Mr. Lee Taeyong deposited the rest of the money you owed this morning. You’re student loans have been paid.

Have a nice day,

Financial Officer

lee taeyong. the lee taeyong paid off my college debt? the same lee taeyong that just walked into my coffee shop with jung freaking jaehyun and johnny frickin seo and kim mother frickin doyoung? they walked up to the register and taeyong gave me a big smile. 

“hi y/n how has your day been.” i raised an eyebrow at him.

“i mean i just found out that some named lee taeyong paid off my college debt for me so i would say pretty good how about you?” his smile widened at my words.

“i helped an extremely talented girl with student loans relieve some stress so i was say pretty good as well.” i smiled at him and the guys behind him exchanged looks.

“seriously though thank you so much for doing that. you have so many more important things to worry about and you totally didn’t have to. i appreciate it so much.” they all smiled at me at that. “now. what can i get you all?” taeyong ordered a hot chocolate and the rest ordered americanos. as i started making their drinks johnny started up a conversation. 

“the dreamies have been talking about you for weeks so we decided we wanted to come see you ourselves. you’re marks age right? 99′ liner?”

“yep. 19th of july.” they all nodded taking in the new information. then something dawned on me. “wait a minute. taeyong how did you even know i had student debt to begin with?”

“the dreamies came barging into the 127 dorm at like two in the morning, mark included, and started shouting about “y/n’s so talented and nice and pretty but she lives in the back of the coffee shop because college is dumb.” jaehyun answered. he cocked an eyebrow as my face turned red. i set doyoung’s americano on the counter and checked on taeyong’s hot chocolate, seeing if the milk had warmed enough. 

“i had to hide them in the back room one night when there were a bunch of fan girls and they noticed my sleeping bag and all my stuff.” taeyong’s eyes widened even more. 

“so you actually live here? i thought they were just being dramatic. is your schedule true then too?” i smiled a little.

“well that depends on what they told you.”

“they told us that you schedule is extremely tight, you work crappy hours, and that you sleep for under two hours a day.” doyoung stated calmly as he sipped his drink.

“um yeah actually that was pretty accurate. wow.” i was surprised at how much they actually remembered.

“they also said you’re saving up for the apartment across from the sm dorms?” i laughed lightly at that. 

“well i was going to after my student loans were paid off. i have a place to live so i had to prioritize.” they seemed satisfied with my answer. 

“i think she’d be a great fit.” johnny said turning to taeyong.

“yeah she’s really nice, the dreamies already love her and she’s hard working.” jaehyun added in.

“also she’s respectful and knows how to manage herself. she seems quick on her feet.” doyoung seemed to be the deciding vote. i was still very confused.

“y/n i spoke with you teachers and showed your portfolio to our manager. i also spoke with him with the dreamies. he’s incredibly impressed with your work and he likes that you get along with the dreamies well. he said he would pay for your apartment if you come work for us as nct’s exclusive hair stylist and makeup artist. it’s a lot, you’d be dealing with all eighteen of us but you’d have your own room to work out of and helpers so it’s not just you with all of us.” my hand flew over my mouth as my eyes filled with tears. i couldn’t believe that someone could be so kind. 

“can i hug you guys?” i squeaked out as i tried not to cry. they all laughed and nodded and i ran around the corner to hug them all. “i would be honored to work with all of you. thank you guys so much. i don’t think i’ll ever be able to express how much this means to me.” they all aww’d in unison. when we stepped back johnny had a slightly mischievous smile on his face.

“i bet mark will be glad that his crush object is coming to work with us.” he said wiggling his eyebrows. mine furrowed in confusion and they laughed.

“our little lee marcus has a huge crush on you, y/n.” jaehyun stated more plainly for me. my eyes widened and my cheeks turned pink and they laughed again.

“judging by what jeno has told me and your reaction just now i’d say you feel the same do you not?” doyoung smirked at me. jeno. that snitch. i had talked to him the few times he’d come in alone, about mark. and how much i liked everything about him. oof. i cringed slightly and the guys laughed again. we talked for a little more and before they left taeyong called his manager to tell him i had agreed. 

“manager-nim says the apartment will be ready in two days. the best part? he said that because you’ll only be working when we have shows and interviews you can work part time at the cafe inside the sm building. and since you’re exclusively ours, you get to travel with us to shows. how’s that for perks.” he said. this day could not get any better. i thanked them again and then they decided to head back to the dorms.


	2. 2:45 am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> his life was face paced, always moving always changing. no time to stop and relax. her life was constant, same routine day after day. when their very different worlds collide will they come together? or will they simply be strangers passing through. only 2:45 am coffee can tell.

two days later i moved into my new apartment. the dreamies volunteered to help me settle in. after my stuff was moved taeyong and jisung took me to the mall. taeyong wanted to help me pick out some new clothes and jisung just wanted to hangout. taeyong had incredible style so i was glad he was coming with me. that was until he insisted on buying me everything. he picked me out two outfits in pretty much every store we went into. while i was grateful i felt terrible that he was spending so much money on me. we eventually took a lunch break.

“after we eat i think we should go back to my apartment and unload everything. i can online shop for furniture there.” taeyong and jisung agreed, jisung a little more enthusiastically because he was tired of walking around.

we got back to my apartment and taeyong started to unpack the clothes he bought me then realized that i didn’t have a dresser. he ended up just folding everything and laying them neatly in piles. i went online and started to shop for furniture. i quickly decided what i wanted my room to look like and mark came over with his laptop to help me find what i was looking for. after we finished, mark ordered take out and we laid on the floor and watched a movie on his computer. there was a knock at the door and i got up thinking it was the takeout. i opened the door to see johnny standing there holding the takeout, a sleeping bag, a pillow, and a backpack.

“already having sleepovers. adorable.” he said smirking. i rolled my eyes and moved aside so he could come him. “wow this place is huge. i can’t wait to see it when you’re done with it! by the way jaehyun and i are going in together on you housewarming gift so do you want a tv or a couch. because whatever we don’t get taeyong will.” i laughed but his face remained straight as we walked down the stairs to the main level.

“oh my gosh you’re serious. no no no you don’t need to get me a freaking tv or a couch. just get me like a plant or something.” johnny just laughed as he set the take out down on the floor.

“y/n everyone in nct is getting you some type of housewarming gift. also we’ll probably give you a tv no matter which you choose because taeyong has better style.” he gave me a big smirk then screamed mark’s name. mark came out of my room and rolled his eyes.

“i texted taeyong hyung. why is you here.” johnny rolled his eyes right back and i giggled at the older younger sibling dynamic they had.

“ ‘taeyong hyung’ was working so he sent me. deal with it bub.” i laughed at mark’s exasperated expression. he looked so done.

“ok well thank you for the food johnny oppa but i already have a sleeping bag and a pillow?” johnny just laughed at that.

“taeyong thought it would be better for mark to just sleep here so you’re not alone on your first night in your new apartment.” he smirked as our faces turned red.

“sure only if your comfortable with it love.” mark sort of asked as he turned to me. he had taken to calling me love recently and it seriously wasn’t helping the slowly growing crush i had on him.

“of course it’s fine. just don’t go getting awkward on me now.” he seemed to relax at that and laughed with me.

“ok well i’m gunna go but either taeyong or me or jaehyun will come grab you guys in the morning.” we nodded and waved goodbye. mark grabbed his stuff and i grabbed the take out and we walked back into my room. he spread out his sleeping bag on the floor and hit play on the movie we had paused. as we watched the movie i noticed we both liked what the other had. eventually we started just sharing both dishes, taking a bite of our own then a bite of the other’s. after the movie we decided to unzip the sleeping bags and lay them both out open on the floor then use the three giant fluffy blankets taeyong bought me as covers. the sleeping bags were actually pretty big spread out so we stacked them for a little more cushion on the hard floor. mark was apprehensive about sharing a “bed” with me but after i told him to think of like like a sleepover with a friend he was ok. mark had taken off his hoodie leaving him in a thin t shirt and i opted for the tank top and sleep shorts i picked out from aerie.

mark was already asleep by the time i finished changing and brushing my teeth. i tiptoed over as quietly as i could and slipped under the blankets next to him. he seemed to wake up a little as i lifted the blankets and rolled over to face me. he reached his arm out sleepily and grabbed my hand as i laid next to him. i completely froze thinking i had woken him up but he just groaned softly and tugged me towards him. i ended up rolled into his chest, his arms wrapped around me, chin placed on the top of my head. i fell asleep slowly to the sound of his heart beat.

in the morning we were rudely awakened by a shrill scream.

“OH MY GOD MY EYES.” mark groaned beside me lifting an arm to deflect the offending bright rays of sun. “HYUNG THEY’RE SLEEPING TOGETHER. UNDER THE SAME BLANKETS. HOLDING EACH OTHER.”

“chenle calm down. hyuck cuddles with mark all the time.” jaemin said. my eyes flew open as i realized that a: i was still in short shorts and a tank top, b: i was laying on mark’s chest with our arms wrapped around each other and legs tangled together, and c: all of the dreamies were in my house. oh my god. ALL OF THE DREAMIES ARE IN MY HOUSE. i sat up quickly and tapped mark on the chest a few times.

“mark c’mon we gotta get up. the dreamies and taeyongie oppa are here.” mark groaned again and pulled me down into him again.

“five more minutes. we don’t even have schedule today.” he whined out. taeyong walked into the room with the rest of the dreamies.

“mark lee you better get up right now or i will let them dog pile you.” he said sternly but i could hear the teasing lilt in his voice. he would let them but he wasn’t being stern about it.

“you wouldn’t. y/n’s down here with me.” taeyong held up three fingers then jerked his head to the side. he would count down from three then i roll out of the way and the dreamies tackle mark. he counted down and i rolled out of marks hold. the second i was clear mark’s eyes flew open right as they tackled him. i almost felt bad as i stood watching the show next to taeyong. he rolled his eyes playfully then bent down and grabbed some clothes from the piles next to me. he easily found an outfit then handed me the clothes. i smiled sleepily in thanks then went to go change and brush my teeth and hair. the outfit he picked out was a faux turtle neck tank bodysuit, a graphic t shirt, and some ripped jeans. i layer the clothes accordingly, tucking in the graphic t slightly and pulling on some white tennis shoes that jisung helped me find yesterday. i put on my usual make up, bit of mascara and light foundation. when i walked out of the unfinished bathroom, mark was up and semi dressed. he was pulling a new t shirt over his head and i couldn’t help but stare as the muscles in his back flexed. dang. he turned around and i pretended that i had walked in on my phone, not paying attention. i glanced up and saw him looking at me.

“hey ready to go?” i asked. he walked over to me and held my face gently. his thumbs brushed at me cheeks and he smiled.

“there. now we’re ready to go.” as he turned and walked out the room i turned on my camera quickly to see what he did. oh. he brushed off the make up on my cheeks showing my freckles. i walked out to see him standing with the rest of the dreamies and taeyong.

“ok so you’ll start at the coffee shop tomorrow and the dreamies have a show in a week and a half so you’ll be working with them then. and your school has agreed to make your classes online unless you choose to attend them in person. that’s just to make it easier on you so aren’t running all over the place constantly.” i beamed at him grateful for all they had done for me. “now today we’re gunna go to the mall and find you some little things for inside your apartment like paintings or silverware and plates and bowls and cups. we’re also getting you a fridge. that’s the dreamies housewarming gift for you.”

my apartment came with bar counter that looked into the kitchen. the kitchen already had cupboards lining the walls then another layer of doors underneath. (think like overhead cupboards then counter top where the sink is then more cupboards under that counter top.) there was a space at the end of the counter top that lined both walls by the doorway. that was where the fridge was to go. there was also an open space next to the sink for the dishwasher and another two feet away from the fridge for the stove. we decided to look for a fridge first. we started at some hardware stores and i quickly found a stainless steel one that i liked. it wasn’t too expensive either. the dreamies all pitched in to pay for it, despite my protests. it was from all of them, they said, except for mark.

“i’m getting you something else.” he told me as we drove to the next store. we were going to look for kitchen appliances as i didn’t currently have any cups, plates, bowls or silverware of any sort. when we finally found a store i bought a set of plates and bowls. they were both made of white porcelain which i thought would look good with the aesthetic i had in mind. i got glasses next making sure to remember to buy everything in bulk as i was going to have the entirety of nct of at some point or another. taeyong seemed to realize what i was doing and had the dreamies distract me so he could pay for the silverware. he also snuck in a draw organizer for said silverware. i found a set of kitchen knives, a wooden spoon and a spatula and decided to get those too. taeyong found me a small silver container to keep them in. after i finished paying we all agreed to go back to my apartment to get everything put away.

when we got there taeyong called yuta to come over and help figure out my fridge. the dreamies helped me organize everything else that we bought. the cups and bowls went into two separate over head cupboards and plates went into the cupboard right below it. silverware went into the drawer right above the plates. after yuta and taeyong got my fridge working, taeyong called doyoung. he came about an hour later, arms full of grocery bags. i hurried to take some of them off him to ease the burden a little bit. as we put everything away in the fridge i noticed the wide variety of foods he had bought me. there were a few different kinds of meat and cheese, a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables, milk, orange juice, soju and some condiments.

“housewarming gift?” i asked and he smiled at me warmly.

“housewarming gift.” he confirmed. i had running water so he bought me a filtering pitcher to keep in the fridge. you filled up the top and the water filtered into the part underneath. that way you could just fill it up and set in the fridge so it’d be cold by the time it finished filtering. we got everything in the fridge and sat on the floor in the soon-to-be living room. we were all laughing and talking when someone knocked on the door. taeyong answered it, it was two men holding a very large box.

“we have a delivery for a mr. mark lee?” mark stood up and walked over to sign off the package. they entered, following mark carefully down the stairs to my bedroom? there was another two men with another box that followed them and i was very confused. why had mark ordered something then had it shipped to my house. we walked into the room to find them setting up a bed. then it clicked. mark said he’d gotten me something separate from the dreamies. he bought me a bed? the bed itself was wood with grey fabric covering it. the sheets taeyong and i had picked out would match perfectly. then it dawned on me that they must have talked out it earlier. when we were choosing the bedding i was stuck between two but taeyong was very adamant on the one we had ended up with.

they finished putting the bed together and left and everyone worked together to make the bed. once it was done it looked really good. the comforter and two of the decorative pillows were a few shades darker than the headboard and the rest of the sheets and pillow cases were white which added a nice contrast. mark wrapped his arms around my waist from behind as we all admired how it looked with the hard wood floor and the barely grayish, white walls.

“do you like it, love?” i nodded which i knew he could feel as his chin was on the top of my head.

we all hung out for a little while longer then doyoung announced he would cook us dinner. he made a delicious chicken dish with some of the vegetables he had bought me. when we finished eating the dreamies offered to do the dishes then they decided to head out. i hugged them all and thanked them for all their help again and they were gone. exhausted but happy i changed and went to bed. my new bed was so comfortable and i fell asleep right away.

when i woke up i realized i didn’t have to work until 3. I decided to do online class until then. i managed to through the lesson and finished my homework by one. I was surprised seeing as i usually didn’t finish until around 3. i didn’t know what to do with my free time then i realized that nct 127 had practice today. they probably hadn’t eaten yet today. i got ready, grabbing an outfit and brushing my teeth then ordered their favorite meals from the closest take out place. i grabbed the food on the way to the sm building and walked to their practice room. i could hear the music from down the hall. i opened the door quietly and snuck in setting the food down by the sound system. that way they’d see it when they went to start the song over. they were so focused on practice i managed to get in and out without them seeing me.

i headed out and asked the lady at the front desk where the coffee shop was. she gave me simple directions and i found it easily. the woman already working pointed me to the back room with a kind smile. the manager greeted me there and handed me an apron. i tied it on quickly and threw my hair back into a ponytail. then i walked back out. the manager followed, she wanted to see how efficiently i worked. i wasn’t used to having someone to helped me out so they were surprised at how i made the coffee just in time to be back at the register to helped then next person. the woman that was already working introduced herself as soobin. she was three years my senior but insisted i just call her soobin. she worked the register while i made the coffee. i found this to be much easier than when it was just me. i realized how nice it was to have someone helping you out.

my shift was going by pretty smoothly so far. i only had about an hour left. soobin had been stunned when mark lee came down and asked for me. we weren’t busy at the moment and no one was in line so we talked for a little bit before he had to go back up to practice.

“you’re friends with mark lee? are you friends with all of nct?” i smiled at her and nodded.

“yeah i met mark at the coffee shop i used to work at. he introduced me to the rest of the dreamies and it just kinda went from there i guess.” her expression turned dreamy.

“so you know jung jaehyun then?” i raised my eyebrows and she blushed.

“yes i know him. would you like me to introduce you guys sometime?” her eyes widened.

“that would be amazing. yes. please. oh my gosh i actually love you.” we laughed together behind the counter at her dramatics.

“after we get off i can take you up to the practice room if it’s cool with taeyong and you can meet them. unless you have plans of course.”

“um no i definitely don’t have plans.” we both laughed again and i shot a quick text to taeyong asking if it was ok that we come up and say hi. he responded quickly with an “of course” so half an hour later we clocked out and headed to the practice room. the boys were taking a break when we walked in so it was perfect timing. they all greeted me with a bright hello which i returned.

“hey thanks for bringing us food y/n we really appreciated it.” taeyong spoke as he walked over to give me a hug.

“and i love and appreciate you all, oppa, but if you hug me right now with your sweaty body it’ll never happen again.” the boys laughed at taeyong’s cute pout and i relented, giving him a quick hug. i stepped back and introduced soobin who had been staring around the room with a starstruck look on her face. the boys came up one by one to introduce themselves and she looked almost overwhelmed. jaehyun was the last one to come up and they fell into a conversation easily. i walked over to mark and haechan and they immediately pulled me down to lay on the floor with them.

“so how does it feel to not be working yourself to death.” hyuck asked nonchalantly. i swatted at him playfully in retaliation but responded nonetheless.

“it’s nice to have someone to help me out you know? and i woke up at nine and finished my school work by one today. i was shocked.” they both laughed and we all sat up. “i’m gonna have you guys over soon for a housewarming party.” their eyes light up immediately and they nodded.

“that’ll be so much fun. and we’ll get to see your apartment finished too.” haechan sounded excited already even though nothing was set.

“i think i’ll invite soobin too. looks like jaehyun oppa likes her.” the two boys automatically looked over at their hyung who looked like he was flirting with soobin as hard as he could. her cheeks were pink and she covered her mouth as she giggled at something he said. mark and haechan smirked at each other and i knew they were already coming up with ways to tease him about this. soobin and i stayed for another twenty minutes until their break was over.

“hey it was so nice meeting you, i’m glad we’re working together.” soobin said as we stood outside the building. she had called an uber and i was keeping her company while she waited.

“it was nice meeting you too! we should do something outside of work sometime. maybe go get a drink.” she laughed at my suggestion and i found it hard to believe she was three years older.

“yeah we definitely should. then you can tell me what’s going on between you and mr. mark lee.” she wiggled her eyebrows at me as a car pulled up. “well this is me but i’ll you tomorrow!” i waved as she got in the car and left. i made sure i had everything with me then jumped as i felt two arms wrap around my waist.

“hey.” mark greeted as his chin landed on my shoulder. “goin home?” i nodded and he nodded back slowly. i turned around in his hold to see him barely awake.

“taeyongie oppa let you guys out early today.” i commented. usually they were practicing late into the night. my shift ended at 7 and we left the practice room about 7:30 and it was just now 7:55. that was really early for them. mark shook his head.

“no another group needed the practice room and we’d been in there since 7:30 this morning so he decided we should just go back to the dorms and get some sleep.” i nodded in agreement, the poor boy looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up.

“well i have to go home and shower. but i’ll see you tomorrow?” mark pouted and was about to say something when taeyong and jaehyun walked out to join us.

“actually he can stay at your place tonight if you want. you live so close it’s not much of an issue as long as he’s at practice on time.” taeyong said. mark gave him a sleepy smile then turned to me with another pout.

“ok ok that’s fine. but you have to get yourself up.” he nodded, confirming that he would and taeyong smiled.

“he slept better with you then he ever has at the dorms so we figured the best way to get him to sleep was to try to send him to you.” mark nodded sleepily again then wrapped his arms back around my waist again.

“hey y/n? could i have soobin’s number?” jaehyun asked. he seemed kind of nervous and i thought it was cute.

“i have it yes. but you’re gunna have to ask her for it yourself. trust me she’ll give it to you.” he nodded but still looked a bit scared. “hey. you’ll be fine. you had one conversation and she already like loves you.” he smiled at that.

“thanks y/n. i’ll ask her tomorrow.” i smiled back glad that soobin was gonna get her mans.

“ok i’m gunna head back now. mark do you need anything from your dorm?” he nodded but taeyong cut in before he could say anything.

“i’ll bring everything he needs over. just make sure he showers and doesn’t just pass out in bed right away.” i wrinkled my nose in mock disgust.

“um i’m definitely going to make him shower. he stinks.” the two men laughed at that while mark just whined into my neck. “ok come on now. let’s go home.” he let go of my waist but grabbed my hand immediately. i was only about a five minute walk away so we got to my place in no time. i decided to shower first. i tried to shower quickly knowing that if i didn’t mark would fall asleep out there by himself. after i finished showering i threw on my pajamas and took my towel and brush out with me so he could get in sooner. as he was showering taeyong dropped off his pajamas and clothes for tomorrow. when mark finished showering and came out to grab his pajamas in only a towel i literally died and came back. his body was way nicer than what was fair. like why can’t i have abs like that? he decided to kill me more and came out with messy hair, still slightly damp and only. in. sweatpants. rip y/n. killed by her not-boyfriend’s abs. he climbed in bed and immediately wrapped his arms around my waist again pulling me into him. his chest was pressed to my back and his head nestled into the crook of my neck. he was just so warm. i fell asleep almost instantly.

the next morning i woke up and mark was still in bed with me. i panicked thinking he forget he had to get up and shook him.

“mark get up you’re already late for practice.” his arm around me tightened pulling me back down.

“hyung called. gas leak. building closed. no practice. no work.” i relaxed at his words and we slowly fell back asleep.

“well isn’t this just adorable.” we woke up to johnny and jaehyun standing in the doorway leaning on the door frame on either side. they were both smirking and i realized that mark didn’t have a shirt on and we were still cuddling. “are you sure you guys aren’t just secretly dating?” i groaned at their antics and buried myself back into mark’s chest in embarrassment. mark huffed out a laugh and sat up slowly bringing me with him.

“hyungs get out we’ll be out in a minute.” they raised an eyebrow but left anyway. mark got up first and opened the bag taeyong had brought him. some adidas sweats, a t shirt and a hoodie. he took the t shirt and the sweats and went into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. i threw on hus hoodie that he left on the bed and some athletic shorts. i knocked once on the bathroom door waited for a minute then entered. mark was brushing his teeth and i wrapped my sweater pawed arms around his still bare torso. he’d changed into the adidas pants but was still shirtless. i rested my forehead between his shoulder blades as he finished then switched spots to brush my teeth. he rested his chin on my forehead and just stared at me in the mirror. when i finished and reached for my make up bag he promptly picked it up and walked out of the room. i sighed knowing that meant no makeup today. we walked out into the living room to see all of nct opening various boxes or putting together furniture.

“um woah when did all this come.” i looked around at all the projects going on at once.

“they were stacked outside your apartment when we got here.” johnny shrugged as he and jaehyun finished putting together a tv stand. they set the tv on top of it and started hooking it up. taeyong and doyoung were tackling the couch. it was pretty much together already. the dreamies with the supervision of taeil were setting up the dining room table and chairs. the table was glass and the chairs were wood backed with white fabric over them like my bed. the open rooms were coming together just as i had pictured them.

“how did you guys know what to order?” i questioned suddenly curious as to how they knew exactly what to buy.

“mark sent us all the furniture you guys had favorited when you were looking the day you moved in.” i turned to mark to see the sheepish look on his face.

“well how else were they supposed to figure it out.” he protested. jungwoo finished installing the oven and stood, dusting his hands off.

“ok you’re stove is in and ready to use. mark you wanna give me a hand with the other tv and the couch?” mark nodded and kissed my forehead before going to help him. my eyes widened as did the others who were watching.

“did he just- oh my gosh he did.” nana was shook. his eyes were wide as he looked between me and mark’s retreating figure. suddenly he gasped loudly. “are you guys dating?!” everyone froze at what they were doing.

“no! me and mark are definitely not dating. we’re just friends.” jaehyun and johnny snorted as they finished setting up the tv.

“right. just friends. who cuddle. shirtless. in bed together.” taeyong looked scandalized and the dreamies stared at me with wide eyes.

“oh my god the air con wasn’t on last night and he was to lazy to put a shirt on after he showered okay? it’s not a big deal guys. nothing happened we just slept in the same bed because i didn’t want to make him sleep on the floor.” doyoung smiled innocently.

“we believe you. could you call him in here really quick though? i have a question for him.” i was gullible. i was so so gullible.

“hey mark” i yelled into the other room.

“yes love?” he yelled back. doyoung was so smug and the others howled.

“awww he calls her love. jen why don’t you call me anything cute like that?” jeno just sighed at jaemin’s antics.

“ok y/n we’ve got everything set up. where do you want it?” we spent about another hour moving things around then decided to sit back and admire our hard work. doyoung and taeyong offered to cook, jaehyun and johnny cracked open the soju and just like that it was a house warming party. i called soobin and asked if she wanted to come over and she agreed. she arrived soon and knocked on the door. i pushed jaehyun over to answer it immediately and her face was priceless. she handed me the plant she had brought as a housewarming gift and i looked over at johnny pointedly. he just rolled his eyes playfully and i set it down in the middle on the table they placed in the family room. we all decided to sit in the living room and talk before we ate. this was it for me. these were my friends, my family. who would’ve thought it all started with an idol coming in for coffee at 2:45 am. and if that idol and i had a little too much soju and kissed, well. that’s not anyone’s business now is it. ;)


	3. 2:45 am (3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> his life was face paced, always moving always changing. no time to stop and relax. her life was constant, same routine day after day. when their very different worlds collide will they come together? or will they simply be strangers passing through. only 2:45 am coffee can tell.

it had been about a month since that kiss at my house warming party and since mark and i had finally gone out on a date. he had called me one morning, telling me to get ready and that he’d be there in an hour to take me on a date. we ended up at an arcade first, where he insisted he could beat me at every game. spoiler alert: he did beat me at every game.eventually though he took pity and started helping me. after he decided he had beaten me enough for one day, we went to get ice cream. after we finished our cones he said he had a surprise for me. he lead me back towards my apartment and i was very confused. he told me to close my eyes when we got close. once we arrived at the destination he told me i could open my eyes. i blinked my eyes open and gasped. he had brought me to the gardens behind my apartment just in time for the sunset. i turned and he was kneeling next to me.

“y/n?” he had asked taking my hand. “i know it’s only our first date but i feel as though i’ve known you my whole life. will you be my girlfriend?” as the sun set in a beautiful bed of colors i said yes. it was absolutely beautiful and romantic and perfect and i honestly could’ve have asked for a better first date. we walked around the gardens for a while, eventually going back to my apartment and falling asleep in each others arms. 

waking up next to mark was something i don’t think i could ever get tired of. his handsome face being the first thing i woke up to in the mornings, i wouldn’t trade that for anything. eventually we became busier as weeks past. his comeback with the dreamies meant more schedules. we were working through it though, finding time to face time and seeing each other when our schedules allowed it. a few weeks later and their comeback shows were over. they could finally take a break. 

i was working on school work when i heard the front door unlocking. mark walked down the stairs, joining me on the couch.

“whatcha workin on love?” he asked, leaning into my shoulder. it was only about 6 in the evening but mark sounded exhausted. i looked him over carefully. he had slight dark circles and his breathing seemed a bit heavier, like he was cooling down from a run. he also looked paler and skinnier. 

“have you been eating babe?” i asked, concerned. “are you getting some rest now that the comeback is over?” he picked his head up and looked at me.

“yes y/n i’ve been eating and sleeping well.” he already sounded exasperated with me, his eyes were narrowed.

“ok. i was just asking.” i went back to my laptop and he placed his head back on my shoulder. a few minutes later his head seemed to get heavier. i turned my head slightly and saw him passed out. i sighed and shook him softly.

“c’mon love. let’s go to bed.” he stood up, still have asleep and i helped him into the bedroom. i pulled back the covers just in time for him to flop down. as i pulled the covers back over him i noticed he was already back asleep. i frowned at his slightly snoring figure. heading back into the living room i decided to call taeyong. 

“hey is mark ok? he seems like he hasn’t been eating or sleeping well recently.” i heard taeyong sigh and i instantly became more worried.

“nct 127 might be having a comeback soon, we don’t know how soon, but mark has been throwing himself into his work. he’s been staying in the practice room later and later, even though we try to drag him out, then he sleeps through meals. maybe you can talk some sense into him?” i sighed, mark being in three units was incredibly taxing for him. dream just finished their comeback now nct 127 might be having one? no wondered he’s been tired. 

“thanks for telling me oppa. he’s resting right now so i’ll try to bring it up tomorrow sometime.” i could practically hear his relieved smile through the phone.

“alright, thanks y/n.” i smiled, said goodbye then hung up. i finished up the last of my homework quickly, did my nightly routine, then climbed in bed next to mark. we could deal with that tomorrow. 

when i woke up mark was no longer beside me. i could hear his frustrated huffs from somewhere in the apartment through so i got up and went to go find him. he was sitting at the bar, already dressed, his laptop sitting in front of him with what looked like lyrics on the screen. i walked over, kissing his cheek as i walked past and got out a pan and a bowl to start making pancakes.

“what are you doing?” mark asked from where he was sitting.

“making breakfast for us?” i was confused when he scoffed lightly. 

“y/n i don’t have time for breakfast i have to finish these lyrics then go to the practice room.” i started mixing the batter anyways.

“mark you need to eat. you look like you’ve lost weight and taeyong oppa said-” 

“you called my hyung about me? seriously y/n?” he was pissed and i didn’t understand why.

“i was worried about you mark! look at you, you’re skin and bone right now. you need to eat something. please.” i tried again trying to stay calm. he rolled his eyes.

“y/n i don’t need you to nag me all the time. just because i’m your boyfriend now doesn’t mean you need to be breathing down my neck constantly. so stop. i could easily find someone better.” he got up, closed his laptop and headed into the bedroom. he came out a second later with his bag that i knew contained his laptop charger and a few changes of clothes. he grabbed his laptop off the counter and left without another word. my eyes filled with tears as i stared at the door he had just left through. was he already so unhappy with our relationship? was that really how he felt? 

the next few days i was walking on eggshells around mark. he had come back later that day, the day that we had the argument, and apologized.

“love i’m so sorry.” he’d said. “you were right. i need to take better care of myself. i didn’t mean anything i said i was just stressed and i know that’s no excuse but i really am sorry.” i had taken his hands and assured him that all was forgiven but his words still echoed in my head.

“babe? love? y/n?” mark’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. i turned towards him from where we sat on the couch.

“yeah? what’s up?” he looked a little concerned.

“are you alright? you seem kinda withdrawn lately.” i just smiled.

“i’m fine love i promise. just a little tired from school work is all.” he nodded in understanding and turned back towards the tv. i studied the side of his face for a second before doing the same. everything had pretty much gone back to normal after that. 

“ok something is definitely wrong. it’s been weeks since you’ve initiated anything. you don’t even kiss me unless i ask you to! have i done something wrong? are you breaking up with me?!” a few days later he confronted me while we were about to go to sleep, immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

“no no no love nothing is wrong with you i promise. i’ve just been tired because of school lately. that’s all it is.” mark’s brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed like they did when he was thinking. then realization dawned and his eyes grew wide.

“is this about what i said when we had that fight a few weeks ago? love i promise you i didn’t mean anything that i said. i was just angry and stressed and i took it out on you. you’re perfect for me and i can’t imagine myself with anyone else, i don’t want to. i love that you take such good care of me and that you make sure i’m taking care of myself too because you know i forget to sometimes. you don’t nag you just take care of me and i can’t find anyone better for me than you and i’m not even going to bother looking because i know you’re the only one for me. i love you.” i bit my lip as i looked down, trying to stop the tears from falling. “ok you know what? stay right here.” i watched in confusion as he ran out the room. he rushed back in a few minutes later with his guitar. he got back up on the bed and set his guitar on his leg. as he began to play, sitting in front of me with his messy newly dyed black hair in his pajamas i realized just how much i loved this boy. he began to sing and my heart melted. 

(Star 1117 by Ateez is the song he sings (i’ll put english lyrics at the bottom.))

my eyes had tears in them as he finished. “you’re the only one i’ll ever look to, the only one i’ll ever want okay? every moment that i spend with you and every memory that we make together is a blessing. i think of you every second of everyday. and i know that you’ve been stressed with school lately and i’m sorry that you ever felt you couldn’t come to me. i’ll be better for you from now on i promise. i love you.” i waited for him to set the guitar down then leaned over and wrapped my arms around him.

“i love you too. so so much.” he sighed in relief and i giggled. 

“i thought i was going to lose you. i thought you were breaking up with me. oh my gosh.” i pulled back a little ways.

“i’m sorry love. i would never break up with you. i love you too much.” he smiled brightly at that.

“good. because i love you too much to let you go too.” he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me down to lay with him. he reached over me, grabbing my airpods from where they were charging on my nightstand and synced them with his phone. he placed one in my ear, placing the other in his then started the song. as ateez’s sunrise started to play i felt myself relax more into his chest. he always seemed to know just what i needed to hear. with my head on his chest open ear listening to his heart beat, my last waking thought was there is no place that i would rather be other than right here in this bed with the boy i love. and little did i know. he was thinking the exact same thing.


End file.
